STUART HOLDEN
The Houston Dynamo and 2008 U.S. Olympian
How do Houston Dynamo fans describe Stuart Holden? It depends who you ask.
If you talk to one of the hardcore Dynamo followers, they might say that he is “up and coming” or “technically gifted”.
If you talk to one of the legions of teenage girls who come to Dynamo games in their #22 Holden jerseys, they would be more likely to say “Hot”, “Cute”, “Dreamy”, or some similar term that describes Holden’s boyish good-looks.
However, if you were to talk to one of Holden’s many fans who work at the Texas Children’s Cancer Center, they might describe a different side of him. The doctors and nurses at the Cancer Center who have gotten to know Holden well through his frequent visits to the clinic and inpatient unit are more apt to describe Holden as “giving”, “kind-hearted” and “mature beyond his years.”
Since joining the Dynamo Holden (only 23 years old) has proven that there are some young athletes who are willing give to their communities. Holden has attacked his role as a supporter of the cause to cure childhood cancer, with the same energy he shows on the field. “Stuart is here so often we had to get him his own white coat and badge,” jokes Patrick Thompson, Cancer Center Physician. “He is a committed and caring person.”
Part of the reason it is so easy to find Stuart at the Cancer Center, is that he is not sure who gets more from his visits – him or the patients. “I think I benefit more from the visits that patients do,” observes Holden. “I meet a lot of real heroes. If I’m down about a bad game or an injury, visiting the Cancer Center will snap me back to reality. The kids don’t let anything get them down.”
Although the patients are the reason Holden supports the Cancer Center, he also enjoys his interactions with the staff and respect for the organization. “I have a lot of admiration for the Cancer Center,” says Holden. “They’re a lot like the Dynamo. A great organization – that’s totally committed. The doctors, the nurses, the child-life staff – everyone is focused on doing whatever it takes to help the kids.”
Given how much Stuart enjoys his work with the Cancer Center it wasn’t surprising what his answer was when he was approached about joining Nick’s Team – an emphatic “Yes!”
“In sports you want to be on a team you can be proud of. By joining Nick’s team I am becoming part of an organization that wants to win a championship over childhood cancer.”
Nick’s Team is happy to call Stuart Holden as one of its MVPs.
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